Briana Lawrence has wanted to be a “WRITTER” since she was nine years old. Her fourth grade class laughed and wondered how one hoped to become a “writer” if they couldn’t even spell the word.

Years later (okay, like a decade and some change), Briana graduated from Iowa State University and moved to Minneapolis with her partner and now wife. Today, she is the Senior Features Editor at Crunchyroll News where she works with an amazing team of writers to find ways to talk about how sports anime is good for your mental health (among other topics).

Some of Briana's works include her self-published Black, queer magical girl book series "magnifiqueNOIR," which is a love letter to series like "Sailor Moon." She also has her award-winning middle grade series "In Search of Superpowers: A Fantasy Pin World Adventure" released by Andrew McMeel Publishing, her manga essay collection "The Essential Manga Guide" released by Running Press, and she helped coauthor the fourth book in Andrea Towers' "Gamer Girls" series. When it comes to writing, she likes creating fun, positive stories that feature marginalized characters in the spotlight. That said, there's always a lesson to learn along the way that she hopes resonates with readers.

Briana lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her wife and three butthead cats. Here she enjoys exploring Hyrule, making new houses in "Pokopia," and rewatching "SK8 the Infinity" for the hundredth time.